Author: Robert Greenberger

Review: ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ on DVD

A series of films based on a wildly popular series of books walks the tricky line between total fidelity to appease the fans and making the hard choices to create a successful movie-going experience. The vast majority of your audience, the filmmakers presume, have read the source material and/or seen the previous films in the series, so can take for granted that much of the backstory is understood, negating the need for extensive crawls, flashbacks, or expository scenes.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released to its eager audience in 2005, but moviegoers had to wait four years before the film version was released. This film opened two years after the last film so the trick for director David Yates was in knowing how much needed refreshing for the audience. After all, some of us read the book only once; others may only know the film version. The movie, now available on DVD from Warner Home Video, makes a large number of alterations from the book and also fails to properly place the film in context; Yates expects too much recall from his audience. As a result, the brewing war between the forces of good and Lord Voldemort isn’t as front and center as it should be and his agents of darkness are barely named let alone given anything to do.

Similarly, Yates short-changes the supporting cast as Maggie Smith’s McGonagall and Robbie Coltrane’s Hagrid, for example, are little better than window dressing. He chose, instead, to focus on the teen heartthrob storyline showing the raging hormones now coursing through our heroes’ veins. The relationship between Harry and the poor, doomed Dumbledore, is the second storyline and intertwined they’re good stories, but lacks the full scale and spectacle of the book or previous films. An underdeveloped third thread is the evolution of Draco Malfoy, now a Death-Eater and he fumes his way through the film, feeling too important to remain at Hogwarts but assigned there and when called to deliver the killing blow to the wizard, finds himself conflicted. In many ways the relationship between Draco and Snape and that of Harry and Prof. Slughorn should have been the counterpoints to the film but its an opportunity missed.

The one thing he does get right is the look and feel of impending doom. Each book got more sophisticated in its plotting and characterization, reflecting the maturation of the Hogwarts students, while also growing more malevolent in tone. This film is bleaker looking than the previous quintet, the colors muted and washed out – even joyous scenes such as the Quidditch match, are somber in appearance. You just know things are not right.

Since the move opened this summer, there has been much complaining about liberties taken and favorite scenes removed. It’s been the most grumbling since the series began and as each book has grown in size, adapting the tale for the screen has proven troubling.  While the final book is being split into two films and released relatively close together, one wonders if the same should not have been done here, and treat the films as more of a linked miniseries, which seemed to work, after all for [[[Lord of the Rings]]].

The film can be purchased for home viewing in a variety of formats from a standard single-disc DVD with no extras, to a 2-Disc Digital Copy Special Edition which offers up a bunch of extras made largely for its younger audience and not fans of filmmaking. There are six and a half minutes of additional scenes, none of which would have changed the comments above. You can then enjoy the nearly thirty minute Close-Up with the Cast and Crew of Harry Potter special, which is a light look at a day on the set. Better is the 50 minute-long J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life, which gives the series creator her due. Other extras are playful ones with the cast and an unnecessarily long look at Universal’s “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter”.

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Review: ‘The Mel Brooks Collection’ on Blu-ray

  • Uncategorized
  • December 14, 2009

eaac946f19a8da0e6213ede6aebb98dc1-7664128I first encountered Mel Brooks’ work, without realizing it, when I began watching [[[Get Smart]]], the wonderful spy satire he cocreated with Buck Henry (who just happened to be my father’s college roommate – small world and all that). It wasn’t until [[[Blazing Saddles]]] and being in high school before I could put a name to the madman who unleashed these wonderful works. From that point on, when I saw his name I was guaranteed to be there.

In time, I learned of Brooks’ career prior to Get Smart and understood the steps taken that led to the work that I adored. My respect for his determination as a writer, performer, and romancer only grew with time and understanding. There was no single style to his humor – it could be slapstick, word play, satire – and he blended it unlike anyone previously. Nothing was sacred and he continually pushed the boundaries until he burst past them in 1974 and never looked back.

When he left television for feature films and came up with the hilarious [[[The Producers]]], it seemed the longer form was equally suited to his madcap humor. He followed that with the underappreciated [[[The Twelve Chairs]]] and that was followed by Blazing Saddles, which as we all know, forever changed the rules for comedy. The film though, also derailed Brooks to a degree.

Rather than tell comedic stories, he embarked on a series of satires leaping from one genre to another with great success. Still, it wasn’t until he and his wife Anne Bancroft teamed for [[[To Be or Not to Be]]] did Brooks return to a straight comedy. And then he went back to satires until it was time to recycle his works for Broadway.

His career trajectory is handsomely available in a nine-disc Blu-ray box set, The Mel Brooks Collection
, being released Tuesday from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The discs — [[[Silent Movie]]],[[[ History Of The World Part 1]]],[[[ High Anxiety]]], To Be or Not to Be, The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, [[[Young Frankenstein]]], [[[Spaceballs]]], and [[[Robin Hood: Men In Tights]]] — come in an 11” x 8” book, paired with a 120-page hardcover book celebrating his career.

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Review: ‘Robot Chicken Season 4’ on DVD

robot-chicken-s41-9662355I don’t know how I missed [[[Robot Chicken]]] when it debuted several years back. I heard the buzz, I saw the ads in the comics and still, I somehow never got around to watching. When the Cartoon Network sent over their second [[[Star Wars Special]]] for review, I finally indulged and was delighted.

Now, they sent over the two-disc set collecting the complete fourth season, which goes on sale Tuesday, and watched with great delight. The season, which ran from December 7, 2008 through December 6 (last week!), has 20 episodes and the set also includes [[[The Robot Chicken Full-Assed Christmas Special]]].

The show is a riotous tour through the pop culture zeitgeist, presuming the viewers know the players from Tila Tequila to the torturous relationship between Thor and Loki. Many of the episodes are loosely connected vignettes while others feel entirely like a collection of whatever was finished in time got included. When handling a single theme, such as Christmas or [[[[Star Wars]]], they manage to make that work as well, with a broad array of talents coming together to keep things loose and very, very funny.

To me, many of the funniest bits shows the before or after events from favorite scenes such as the natives building the temple deathtraps we saw Indiana Jones avoid in [[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]] or the day in the life of Jason Voorhees.

Seth Green and Matthew Senreich have certainly developed an eclectic following which has allowed them to bring onboard writers and performers to work with them. In fact, one of the best Video Blogs included in the Extras shows the range of actors who come in and let loose. I can’t decide who was having more fun, Billy Dee Williams or Katee Sackhoff. Among the writers to contribute, beyond the usual suspects from previous seasons is comic book darling Geoff Johns.

Back during [[[Star Trek]]]’s 20th Anniversary, there was talk of an Opera which was partially written before wiser heads canceled the project. But, thanks to one bit, we have a good idea of what it would have sounded like. The hysterical [[[Star Trek II: The Opera]]] is one of the highlights.

No, not every bit works and some episodes feel wildly uneven, but in
each episode I find myself laughing out loud at the absurd
juxtaposition of elements or seeing revered icons poke fun at
themselves.

No one and nothing is sacred to these creators so[[[ Babar]]], [[[Hannah Montana]]], [[[James Bond]]] and just about everyone else you’ve grown up with is fair game. The DVD presents the episodes without censorship so there’s additional graphic violence, nudity and many instances of foul language.

In addition to the 21 episodes, there are Chicken Nuggets (the creators offer commentary), appearances at 2008’s Comic-Con International and 2009’s New York Comic-Con plus when the team promoted the show across Australia. There are way-too-brief Day in the Life glimpses at the many talented technicians who take the wacky scripts and bring them to life. There are a handful of deleted scenes with introductory material to explain how anything manages to get cut plus deleted animatics, early tests showing how a script might look. If you like, the show, these Extras continue the entertainment and are commended to your attention.

How Superman REALLY helped America win World War Two

  • News
  • December 7, 2009

Today is December 7th, a day that will live in infamy as the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor that ushered the United States into the second World War.

During the war, almost every comic shifted to a wartime footing, with covers of our heroes kicking the crap out of Nazis and fighting saboteurs in the pages within. But in at least one case, superheroes did a lot more.

See that cover to the right? That’s the cover of a special edition of Superman, based on issue #33 of the regular series that was produced for the U.S. Army.

The Army had a problem at the time — they were drafting thousands of men a year, but many of them had no education to speak of, with large swaths of them functionally illiterate, and they were expected to operate complex machinery pretty quickly. They had to learn how to read, and fast. The troops also needed cheap and portable entertainment, something that could be carried through the battlefields of Europe and Asia.

So with the cooperation of National Periodical Publications, the forerunner to DC Comics, this edition was produced by the War Department with simplified dialogue and word balloons. Hundreds of thousands of copies were distributed to GIs, and it helped them learn to read and to pass the time. And of course, copies of the comics were handed out to kids in faraway lands, as gestures of goodwill.

A total of 23 issues were produced in this manner and these rare variants are among the first examples of using comic books to teach, not just entertain.

So we weren’t surprised when a study came out last week showing that comics can be used to improve literacy. The United States government has known it for decades.

McG Talks Terminator Salvation on BD-Live Tomorrow

  • News
  • December 4, 2009

We just got an alert from our friends at Warner Bros. that on Saturday, at 6 p.m. PST, Terminator Salvation director McG will particiate in a discussion with fans via BD-Live. Here’s the official release:

Experience the first-ever audio-enabled Live Community Screening (LCS) exclusive to owners of the Terminator Salvation Blu-ray Disc and hear director McG answer your questions during this BD-Live exclusive LCS on December 5th, 2009.  The Terminator Salvation LCS marks the first time that real-time audio will be available to enhance the interactive experience.

The LCS, which showcases the expansive capabilities and interactivity offered with Blu-ray and Warner Bros. BD-Live, will take place on December 5th at 6:00PM PST  (9:00PM EST) live from Los Angeles.  The LCS will allow fans that own a BD-Live capable Blu-ray Disc Player the ability to simultaneously watch the movie with McG and hear an interactive Q&A where they can submit questions about the blockbuster film to McG, directly from their home via their internet-connected computer or mobile device. The LCS will also feature the questions and answers in text form on screen.

Warner Bros. BD-Live is an interactive feature exclusive to the Blu-ray format that allows users to experience a variety of exclusive features.  In addition to access to the audio LCS, other exciting BD-Live content available to Terminator Salvation Blu-ray owners include:

  • Compilation of 10 viral videos from the “Resist or Be Terminated” alternate reality game revealing SKYNET’s secret plans.
  • The first episode of Terminator Salvation Machinima Series
  • Digital version of Issue #1 of the Terminator Salvation official movie prequel comic (available for a limited time only)

Warner Bros. BD-Live community members who have registered and signed up for the Terminator Salvation LCS will receive an emailed invitation to participate in the event. The first 100,000 members who RSVP will secure a spot for the screening. WB BD-Live registered users who own the Blu-ray Disc and have signed up for the BD-Live LCS event will be able to insert the disc, connect to WB BD-Live via broadband and logon to the LCS at this designated time to participate in this ground breaking exclusive event.

BD-Live is only accessible through a BD-Live enabled Blu-ray Disc™ played on an Internet-connected Blu-ray player (including PlayStation®3) with BD-Live capabilities and sufficient data storage.  Please consult your Player Manual or Player Support Website for more information.

 

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Review: ‘Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian’ on Blu-ray

4660183dd01761a44f15a7ba527a76281-8686146I admit to having missed [[[Night at the Museum]]] despite the recommendations of friends. As a result, sitting down to watch Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian
was a test to see if the sequel could be entertaining without knowing the ins and outs of the predecessor.

Thankfully, 20th Century-Fox sent over the Blu-ray disc, on sale this week, for review. The special edition has three discs: the film on Blu-ray with the usual assortment of extras, a disc with the film in Standard DVD and the now ubiquitous digital copy.

Overly, this is a mildly amusing film and does not make me miss the original in the slightest. The film tosses any sense of reality out the window from the get-go and expects you to be pulled along, not questioning the absurdities.

I did like how they recapped the first film via a conversation between “As Seen on TV” master Larry Daley and Mr. Pimp George Foreman. It was a lovely send up of those horrid infomercials. However, there’s no real connection between Larry giving up being a night watchman to becoming this successful-but-unfulfilled mogul so his dissatisfaction doesn’t ring true. Also, it was nice to see some semblance of a relationship between Larry and his son but then when he rushes to Washington, he seems to abandon the kid without a second thought despite no evidence of adult supervision. The kid seems there to help with the info dump and is then discarded, not even seen for the ending.

Instead, have to hurry to Washington since a chimp stole the magic Egyptian tablet that can bring the inanimate to life once the sun goes down. And somehow Kahmunrah, brother to last film’s Ahkmenrah turns up knowing all about the events that transpired. Hank Azaria gamely channels Boris Karloff to portray the power mad but not terribly bright Egyptian. He wants to open a portal to a nether-realm and take over a world he doesn’t understand.

The rest of the film is devoted to CGI-powered antics as Larry attempts to stop Kahmunrah as both call upon historic figures for help. By setting this in the Smithsonian, there’s a heavy American accent on the figures so we have Al Capone on one side and a plucky Amelia Earhart on the other. Interestingly, Amy Adams gives her Earhart a sense of verve that Hilary Swank never manages in the recently biopic bomb.

Amazingly, as the night progresses and we run from building to building and throughout the monuments, there are no other people. No homeless, college students, tourists, policemen…anyone. As a result, Abe Lincoln goes wandering from his monument to the museum and there’s not a single sighting or sense of panic.

The humor veers more to slapstick than the clever and the performances are uniform – everyone’s chewing the scenery as quickly as possible. The writing from Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon should have been far sharper so the characters don’t spout anachronistic comments or play to the stereotypical information we know about the figures.

Everything that transpires is telegraphed and predictable right up to the ending that brings a sense of closure to Larry’s life.

Extras on the disc include commentaries from director Shawn Levy and one from the screenwriters and sometimes you think they made very different films. Then you have the 20 minute The Curators of Comedy: Behind-the-Scenes of Night at the Museum 2, a pretty funny Gag Reel, a dozen deleted scenes,Curators of Comedy: Behind The Scenes With Ben Stiller,Museum Scavenger Hunt Game, Cherub Bootcamp, Phinding Pharaoh With Hank Azaria, Monkey Mischief Featurettes, Historical Confessions: Famous Last Words, Secret Doors and Scientists,Cavemen Conversations: Survival of the Wittiest,Museum Magic: Entering The World of the Photograph, Director 201 With Shawn Levy, Gangster Levy, and finally the FOX Movie Channel Presents Featurettes.

In some ways, the plethora of extras inflates the importance of what is essentially a family comedy that makes no demands on any demographic. Still, the extras are the reason to have the film if you like any of the performers. Families can enjoy the film itself in any of the available formats.

Chris Noth Discusses Playing Lex Luthor

  • News
  • December 2, 2009

Lex Luthor has benefited from many strong performances over the years from Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey in the features to Clancy Brown in the animated universe. Now, Chris Noth takes a turn at voicing the nefarious arch foe of Superman in February’s Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the all-new DC Universe Animated Original coming from Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation.

The twist, of course, is that this is the Lex from Earth-3 (or whatever number they assign it) and he arrives to recruit the Justice League to help save his Earth from the Crime Syndicate, a gang of villainous characters with virtually identical super powers to the Justice League. What ensues is the ultimate battle of good versus evil in a war that threatens both planets and, through a diabolical plan launched by Owlman, puts the balance of all existence in peril.

Noth has had a lengthy television presence as both Mr. Big in Sex and the City and as Mike Logan in Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He can currently be seen starring opposite Julianna Margulies in the CBS drama The Good Wife. Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths represents Noth’s inaugural dip into the animated pool.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earthsis an original story from award-winning animation/comics writer Dwayne McDuffie,. Bruce Timm is executive producer, and Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman, Green Lantern: First Flight) and Sam Liu (Superman/Batman: Public Enemies) are co-directors. The full-length animated film will be distributed by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def, as well as single disc DVD, and On Demand and Download.

In Los Angeles to record his 100-plus lines as Lex Luthor, Noth took time during the marathon session to discuss his first animated role.

QUESTION: You’ve had an extensive career in a number of acting mediums – is this really your first animation voiceover experience?

CHRIS NOTH: I think I did about three lines of Mike Logan on Family Guy. That was a quick little gig. The character (Stewie) on the show carries a picture of Mike Logan in his wallet, so I was very flattered by that. But that was just a few lines – so Lex is pretty much my first real animated role. (more…)

Universal Announces ‘Flipper’ Format for Home Video

  • News
  • December 1, 2009

We think the following press release from Universal is pretty cool and could be a game changer for those quibbling about being forced to upgrade to Blu-ray.

Universal City, California, December 1, 2009 – In a move that is poised to elevate the Blu-ray™ Hi-Def format and provide consumers with the ultimate in convenience and viewing flexibility, Universal Studios Home Entertainment (USHE) announced the introduction of groundbreaking dual-format discs containing both Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD versions of some of Hollywood’s most iconic films.  An industry first, the new “flipper” discs will launch on January 19, 2010 with the blockbuster superspy thrillers The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, starring Matt Damon, premiering as individually packaged Blu-ray™ discs.

For the first time ever, consumers will have the ability to choose between Blu-ray™ and DVD formats, simply by flipping a single disc.  With complete utility in one convenient package, the revolutionary medium can be used on any DVD or Blu-ray™ compatible player, game platform or computer, making it ideal for anyone planning to upgrade to Blu-ray™ at a future date as well as current owners of both Blu-ray™ and DVD systems.  Each side of Universal’s flipper discs includes the entire movie as well as all available bonus features, with the Blu-ray™ side featuring exciting BD exclusives such as U-Control and BD-Live™.

“Universal’s flipper discs are the perfect way for consumers to future-proof their collections while still enjoying their favorite movies on all their existing DVD players,” said Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment.  “The flipper disc offers an easy way for viewers to convert to Blu-ray now or at any time in the future, confident in the fact they will be able to experience their home entertainment purchases in the highest quality picture and sound when they do.”

The release will mark the first time the Bourne trilogy, one of the highest grossing action movie franchises in history, is available individually in Blu-ray’s™ renowned perfect picture and purest digital sound.  Each film is accompanied by an array of exciting bonus features that plunge viewers deeper in to the shadowy world of international espionage, including top-secret files, challenging strategy games,  fascinating filmmakers and actor profiles, commentary, deleted scenes and Universal’s renowned BD-Live™ functionality.

Riddled with deception, intrigue and high-octane thrills, each chapter of the globe-hopping search for Jason Bourne’s true identity raises the stakes another lethal notch as the undercover killer settles old scores and uncovers new secrets.  A commanding roster of acclaimed actors accompanies Damon on his quest, including Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, Franka Potente, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Albert Finney.

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Review: ‘Terminator Salvation’ on Blu-ray

1000045439brdlefo-5809382There’s no doubt that when James Cameron made the first [[[Terminator]]]movie in 1984 he figured on telling his story and moving on. Little did he know that 25 years later, it would remain a cultural touchstone spawning sequels, a television series, books, comics, and stuff.

Wisely, Cameron also knew when it was time to move on. Coaxed back for the sequel, he delivered a high-octane action thriller that also pushed the limits of movie technology as we marveled at some of the earliest CGI that had our collective jaws drop.

After the ownership got passed around like a bowl of potato chips, The Halcyon Company now controls the destiny of SkyNet and their progeny. Earlier this year, they offered up [[[Terminator Salvation]]], moving the story to right after Judgment Day in 2018, but before someone thought to send Kyle Reese back in time. The fourth feature, therefore, is both a sequel to the trio of films and a prequel to the first film. In short, the resistance thinks they have a frequency that will stop the Terminators dead in their tracks and they prepare to unleash it, failing to understand that they’ve effectively brought the Trojan horse into their camp. That’s pretty much the story.

Directed by McG, it blows things up real good and real often but it doesn’t work terribly well as a story. The movie, out tomorrow on home video, is offered up in a number of ways. Blu-ray fans can have the three-disc special edition which offers up the Director’s Cut, the theatrical release, extras, and a digital copy. DVD fans can have the two-disc special edition. A single disc version of the theatrical release is also available.

The reason the story doesn’t work is that McG visualizes a world after the Terminators have laid waste to the world but he never digs deep to show us what society is like now that food is scarce and technological development has ground to a halt. There’s no sense that these are dwindling resources nor is there a clear understanding of who’s running the American resistance. Is there still a United States of America or a Commander in Chief? We’re shown the resistance leaders wandering the seas in a submarine to avoid detection but who are they, what are their ranks and why is Michael Ironside wasted as the clueless leader?

And then there’s John Connor, played this time by Christian Bale. Said a prophet of the future and a charismatic leader of the resistance, he seems to be occasionally a soldier following orders and other times he comes off as a regular messiah, the one man capable of rallying the troops and kicking metallic ass. We know little about him or his relationship with Kate (Bryce Dallas Howard), wandering pregnant with his child – a symbol of an optimistic future.

The movie has running and jumping, fighting, and yelling but we feel nothing for these characters because screenwriters John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris never slow down to let people explain themselves. When Marcus (Sam Worthington) joins the resistance and is revealed to be a unique cyborg, there’s a quick jump to conclude he’s a Terminator despite everything he’s done up to that terrifying moment. The one person to believe him is Blair (Moon Bloodgood) and no one pays her any attention.

Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) is sought by SkyNet but we’re never told why, we’re given no explanation why he’s been separated from the others humans who have been inexplicably rounded up by mammoth Terminators. Kyle, who believes himself one half of the complete Los Angeles resistance cell, is all about survival, but the qualities we saw Michael Biehn display in the first film is missing from his character here.

tsd-11339-3737246The talented cast is given little to do although Worthington is a revelation as the next great action star. Yelchin, seen weeks previously as the caricatured Pavel Chekov, displays some real talent as Reese. Similarly, Bloodgood both here, and in Wolverine, shows some real potential. Bale, Howard, Ironside, Jane Alexander and Helena Bonham Carter are merely wasted.

The movie ends and we’re not entertained, just disappointed. The three extra minutes in the director’s cut (far from the promised 40 minutes during the ramp-up to release) help smooth some things out but is too little to make much of a difference.

Having said all that, if you buy this, know that the Blu-ray looks and sounds spectacular.

Like The Watchmen, this offers up the Maximum Movie Mode which has McG pop up every now and then. He stands between two miniature screens, one showing the film and one showing concept drawings, animatics, costume design, and other tidbits to explain how they achieved the finished product. He’s enthusiastic and is accompanied by text information including a timeline of the Terminator universe to help put people and events into perspective (would have been nice to have that in the actual movie).

The other extras are the traditional assortment of behind-the-scenes featurettes starting with the 19-minute Reforging the Future which is an overview to the fourth film. There’s an eight-minute look at The Moto-Terminator the motorcycles in the film. We’re then given about nine other three-to-four minute clips dedicated to different elements of making the film, most involving blowing things up (30,000 gallons of kerosene was used for just one scene). The best of the lot was recreating Arnold Schwarzenegger’s look from 1984 for a T-600.

And that’s about it so you really need to have loved this film or the series to want to add this to your video library.

Review: ‘The Year of Loving Dangerously’

The Year of Loving Dangerously

By Ted Rall and Pablo G. Callejo
ComicsLit, 128 pages, $18.95

Ted Rall is a talented, controversial opinion-maker through his columns and his cartoonists. His somewhat jaundiced look at life has been shaped by many factors, chief among them, 1984, the year referred to in the title of this courageous memoir recently released under NBM’s ComicsLit imprint.

A junior, Ted developed a medical condition that shoved his life off course and in rapid succession; he was failed by his family, Columbia University, his friends, and strangers in Manhattan. As a result, Ted found himself expelled, homeless, and practically penniless, struggling to survive.

He found an unusual solution, picking up or letting himself be picked up by women essentially exchanging sexual favors for a warm place to sleep. For the better part of a year, Ted, still smarting from the breakup with Philippa, the girl of his dreams, has a steady stream of sexual relationships and in frank terms, tells his reader that he didn’t necessary revel in the activity. It was survival mechanism, much as he broke into a Barnard dorm to crash or later stole supplies from the University that jerked him around in order to raise cash.

Rall is 21, handsome, and clearly desirable but despite the variety of sexual partners at a time when AIDS was just hitting the headlines, he hates his life and his self-esteem remains fairly low. Chris, his best pal, has his own issues, walking a fine line between recreational drug use and becoming a junkie, threatening to drag Ted with him.

The writing is clear-eyed and unsparing in his appraisal of his own behavior and that of those around him. When things finally begin to turn around and he finds a job but doesn’t yet have the cash to afford first and last month rent, Ted continues to indulge in questionable behavior. Still, he tried to follow a moral path, writing, “Unlike faceless corporate entities, built on institutionalized theft, individual people were strictly off-limits.”

He gets the job, settles into three stable relationships with women (keeping each ignorant of the others), and survives a fresh encounter with Philippa. You’re rooting for him along the way, wondering if you would have made the same choices in the name of basic survival.

Much of the strength in this remarkable account comes from Pablo G Callejo’s artwork. The Spanish artist keenly captures the look and feel of New York City during the go-go Reagan years. His people are wonderfully varied and his attention to detail is excellent, from clothing to color. His artwork is ideally suited for this cautionary tale and made reading it a lot easier.

This is an important work in that it lays bare a man’s life and shows how easily things can go awry and why society needs safety nets.

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